Has Fescue became a thing of the past in the South?

As of late I have had more luck raising a great stand of weeds than anything else w/this "go to he%$" drought we're having. It really doesn't matter what pre or post you use because in my mind of one doesn't irrigate you're screwed where fescue is concerned. Could it be that climates have shifted to a point that one would be wasting his time bothering by planting fescue in this climate? I have a pretty big yard and am to the point of inviting zoysia or centipede in my yard. However, I'll never allow wire grass a moments peace.

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From 1999 to 2006, all I pretty much dealt with was fescue. This year I've seeded two residentials and three commercials with bermuda. I also picked up a few residentials with Tifway 419 installed. Many neighborhoods being built in Raleigh are all being sodded with bermuda this year.

I have 2 full fescue yards with no shade and it seems no matter what ammount of water is put down it just browns out seems that it gives off more water during the extream heat we have here than iti s possible for the grass to take up during the non hottest part of the day. Basicly it looks nice but if you dont have shade around here your screwed. i have to over seed every fall and spring to even keep the invading bermuda at bay.

As of late I have had more luck raising a great stand of weeds than anything else w/this "go to he%$" drought we're having. It really doesn't matter what pre or post you use because in my mind of one doesn't irrigate you're screwed where fescue is concerned. Could it be that climates have shifted to a point that one would be wasting his time bothering by planting fescue in this climate? I have a pretty big yard and am to the point of inviting zoysia or centipede in my yard. However, I'll never allow wire grass a moments peace.

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I was thinking of trying to overseed my middle Tennesse yard with Centipede this Fall, don't know if it will do well with the winters we have, but i'm thinking it might be worth a chance. Much better for these dry hot summers, what have i got to loose ?

I have 2 full fescue yards with no shade and it seems no matter what ammount of water is put down it just browns out seems that it gives off more water during the extream heat we have here than iti s possible for the grass to take up during the non hottest part of the day. Basicly it looks nice but if you dont have shade around here your screwed. i have to over seed every fall and spring to even keep the invading bermuda at bay.

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I have alot of fescue customers here in Tulsa. Even in the shaded yards it just doesnt look well once we get into the extreme heat of our late summers. Even the ones who irrigate...it looks marginal. I think Bermuda is the way to go...and Zoysia so long as you have at least some sun.

I really think we are too far south for fescue i dont know but it seemed like the little bit of downtown witchita ks that i have seen looked like they have a bunch of fescue they may be far enough north to take the edge off the extream heat like we have here. Something i noticed the other day as they built a brand new far credit here in town and they soded the entire place w fescue in the heat of the summer they are watering day and night and still id say atleast 1/2 if not 3/4 is dieing or dead and there is not a single tree for shade in the areas they sodded. I just dont get why people think that fescue is so great. yes it is pretty but in these climats around here it takes an extream amount of upkeep and attention. Also about keeping the bermuda at bay its not working too well but the customers keep paying me so i keep putting the seed down and every year it comes up lookes great in the spring then it dies and the bermuda takes over some more.

My non-irrigated warm season lawns have yeilded nothing this year.
I cut them back short early to avoid crown cutting.
They started to green, the we got a late freeze and they went dormant.
They had about enough time to start greening again before they went dormant again due to drought.

My own lawn and field looks like it has been hit several times with roundup.
Total loss probably.

I have no idea what I might try to go back with.

Choosing between fescue and bermuda, I'd go back with fescue because I hate bermuda.
For myself I'm thinking of RTF, Centipede or Zoysia.... dunno....

ENVY

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